diff --git a/Documentation/config/add.txt b/Documentation/config/add.txt
index c9f748f81c..3e859f3419 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/add.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/add.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ add.ignore-errors (deprecated)::
 	variables.
 
 add.interactive.useBuiltin::
-	[EXPERIMENTAL] Set to `true` to use the experimental built-in
-	implementation of the interactive version of linkgit:git-add[1]
-	instead of the Perl script version. Is `false` by default.
+	Set to `false` to fall back to the original Perl implementation of
+	the interactive version of linkgit:git-add[1] instead of the built-in
+	version. Is `true` by default.
diff --git a/builtin/add.c b/builtin/add.c
index 3ffb86a433..343fe2c353 100644
--- a/builtin/add.c
+++ b/builtin/add.c
@@ -236,17 +236,12 @@ int run_add_interactive(const char *revision, const char *patch_mode,
 	int use_builtin_add_i =
 		git_env_bool("GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN", -1);
 
-	if (use_builtin_add_i < 0) {
-		int experimental;
-		if (!git_config_get_bool("add.interactive.usebuiltin",
-					 &use_builtin_add_i))
-			; /* ok */
-		else if (!git_config_get_bool("feature.experimental", &experimental) &&
-			 experimental)
-			use_builtin_add_i = 1;
-	}
+	if (use_builtin_add_i < 0 &&
+	    git_config_get_bool("add.interactive.usebuiltin",
+				&use_builtin_add_i))
+		use_builtin_add_i = 1;
 
-	if (use_builtin_add_i == 1) {
+	if (use_builtin_add_i != 0) {
 		enum add_p_mode mode;
 
 		if (!patch_mode)
diff --git a/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh b/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
index 280dda7d28..d671f40278 100755
--- a/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
+++ b/ci/run-build-and-tests.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ linux-TEST-vars)
 	export GIT_TEST_COMMIT_GRAPH_CHANGED_PATHS=1
 	export GIT_TEST_MULTI_PACK_INDEX=1
 	export GIT_TEST_MULTI_PACK_INDEX_WRITE_BITMAP=1
-	export GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN=1
+	export GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN=0
 	export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=master
 	export GIT_TEST_WRITE_REV_INDEX=1
 	export GIT_TEST_CHECKOUT_WORKERS=2
diff --git a/t/README b/t/README
index 9ffea1d314..309a31133c 100644
--- a/t/README
+++ b/t/README
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ the --sparse command-line argument.
 GIT_TEST_PRELOAD_INDEX=<boolean> exercises the preload-index code path
 by overriding the minimum number of cache entries required per thread.
 
-GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN=<boolean>, when true, enables the
+GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN=<boolean>, when false, disables the
 built-in version of git add -i. See 'add.interactive.useBuiltin' in
 git-config(1).
 
diff --git a/t/t2016-checkout-patch.sh b/t/t2016-checkout-patch.sh
index abfd586c32..bc3f69b4b1 100755
--- a/t/t2016-checkout-patch.sh
+++ b/t/t2016-checkout-patch.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ test_description='git checkout --patch'
 
 . ./lib-patch-mode.sh
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'setup' '
+if ! test_bool_env GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN true && ! test_have_prereq PERL
+then
+	skip_all='skipping interactive add tests, PERL not set'
+	test_done
+fi
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
 	mkdir dir &&
 	echo parent > dir/foo &&
 	echo dummy > bar &&
@@ -18,44 +24,40 @@ test_expect_success PERL 'setup' '
 
 # note: bar sorts before dir/foo, so the first 'n' is always to skip 'bar'
 
-# NEEDSWORK: Since the builtin add-p is used when $GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN
-# is given, we should replace the PERL prerequisite with an ADD_I prerequisite
-# which first checks if $GIT_TEST_ADD_I_USE_BUILTIN is defined before checking
-# PERL.
-test_expect_success PERL 'saying "n" does nothing' '
+test_expect_success 'saying "n" does nothing' '
 	set_and_save_state dir/foo work head &&
 	test_write_lines n n | git checkout -p &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_saved_state dir/foo
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p' '
 	test_write_lines n y | git checkout -p &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p with staged changes' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p with staged changes' '
 	set_state dir/foo work index &&
 	test_write_lines n y | git checkout -p &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo index index
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD with NO staged changes: abort' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p HEAD with NO staged changes: abort' '
 	set_and_save_state dir/foo work head &&
 	test_write_lines n y n | git checkout -p HEAD &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_saved_state dir/foo
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD with NO staged changes: apply' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p HEAD with NO staged changes: apply' '
 	test_write_lines n y y | git checkout -p HEAD &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD with change already staged' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p HEAD with change already staged' '
 	set_state dir/foo index index &&
 	# the third n is to get out in case it mistakenly does not apply
 	test_write_lines n y n | git checkout -p HEAD &&
@@ -63,21 +65,21 @@ test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD with change already staged' '
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD^...' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p HEAD^...' '
 	# the third n is to get out in case it mistakenly does not apply
 	test_write_lines n y n | git checkout -p HEAD^... &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo parent parent
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p HEAD^' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p HEAD^' '
 	# the third n is to get out in case it mistakenly does not apply
 	test_write_lines n y n | git checkout -p HEAD^ &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo parent parent
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p handles deletion' '
+test_expect_success 'git checkout -p handles deletion' '
 	set_state dir/foo work index &&
 	rm dir/foo &&
 	test_write_lines n y | git checkout -p &&
@@ -90,28 +92,28 @@ test_expect_success PERL 'git checkout -p handles deletion' '
 # dir/foo.  There's always an extra 'n' to reject edits to dir/foo in
 # the failure case (and thus get out of the loop).
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'path limiting works: dir' '
+test_expect_success 'path limiting works: dir' '
 	set_state dir/foo work head &&
 	test_write_lines y n | git checkout -p dir &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'path limiting works: -- dir' '
+test_expect_success 'path limiting works: -- dir' '
 	set_state dir/foo work head &&
 	test_write_lines y n | git checkout -p -- dir &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'path limiting works: HEAD^ -- dir' '
+test_expect_success 'path limiting works: HEAD^ -- dir' '
 	# the third n is to get out in case it mistakenly does not apply
 	test_write_lines y n n | git checkout -p HEAD^ -- dir &&
 	verify_saved_state bar &&
 	verify_state dir/foo parent parent
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'path limiting works: foo inside dir' '
+test_expect_success 'path limiting works: foo inside dir' '
 	set_state dir/foo work head &&
 	# the third n is to get out in case it mistakenly does not apply
 	test_write_lines y n n | (cd dir && git checkout -p foo) &&
@@ -119,11 +121,11 @@ test_expect_success PERL 'path limiting works: foo inside dir' '
 	verify_state dir/foo head head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'none of this moved HEAD' '
+test_expect_success 'none of this moved HEAD' '
 	verify_saved_head
 '
 
-test_expect_success PERL 'empty tree can be handled' '
+test_expect_success 'empty tree can be handled' '
 	test_when_finished "git reset --hard" &&
 	git checkout -p $(test_oid empty_tree) --
 '